– AMPLIFYING TEENAGE CRAFTS INTO A BUSINESS
Renuka Tewari is a self-taught craftswoman, who hails from the county of Demerara. As a teenager who loves crafts and designing, she has managed to create a business in less than a year, which brings to life the needs of her customers. 
CraftsCreations&Smiles, her online-based business, speaks volumes in bringing out the strange crafty demands of customers. What makes this enterprise a unique one is the fact that the items cannot be found in stores or on the Internet, since it customises items to fit the various occasions.
Some of the popular items in recent months include dream catchers and elaborate floral crowns. However, mugs with catchy slogans, twisted copper necklaces, and eccentric bridal bouquets are also on the list. “CraftsCreations&Smiles is an online craft store and my aim is to provide the customised creations. We also have items that are already made. We do items such as bouquets, floral arrangements, floral crowns, mugs, corsages, and basically anything crafty.”
Tewari recalled that it all started when a friend desperately needed a floral crown for his girlfriend and she decided to help him. It was that first creation of hers that sparked a latent aspiration to make craft-making an enterprise, rather than just a hobby.
“After creating that piece, I posted it on social media and it received tons of likes. That’s when I decided that I can create even more amazing stuff and make a business out of it,” Tewari explained.
“The main aim behind the business is to have persons being able to have their designs come to life, so we work with various specifications,” she related.
She reminisced on the days when artsy ‘stuff’ was just part of her school projects, which would reflect her imagination and p
ersonality. Building on those memories, she continues to create for her business even more astonishing pieces that capture the attention of strangers everywhere.
On numerous platforms, the 19-year-old has had the chance to showcase her products. Her creations have been showcased at Curl Fete and the recently-held Regional Agricultural and Commercial Exhibition at the Leonora Track and Field Centre.
In both cases, customers are thrilled at the quality of work being handcrafted by Tewari and many of her items are sold immediately. 
She explained that making other people happy is one of the things that drive the business forward, since she is always working to please the customers and meet their needs. This epitomises her favourite quote, “Keep smiling and brighten someone’s day” which she turns to for inspiration.
Bending copper into dazzling pieces is not just her way of making crafts, but it relieves stress and enables the mind to think beyond the norm.
